Remembering passwords

Techniques > Memory methods > Remembering passwords

Usage | Description | Example | Discussion | See also

Usage

Use to remember computer passwords or other tricky words that you easily forget.

It is also useful in remembering spelling of difficult words.

Description

Take the initial letters of the word that you want to remember and form a silly and memorable mnemonic.

Numbers can be remembered with a number method or turning them into something memorable too.

Example

Say my password is 'MONDAY22' (which of course it isn't). I could remember it as follows:

May
Old
Noses
Drip
And
Yip (like a dog)
Toot! Toot!

Discussion

As with other memory methods, making the memory visual and amusing is very helpful.

If you have many passwords, you may also want to associate the mnemonic with the application it is for. The password itself can be used to do this, too, for example a password for my work machine may be WIRKMASH.